Romans 1:18-23, Gratitude vs. unthankfulness (2)

b)    Thanksgiving recognizes the fact that God is at work in all things.

A thankful heart recognizes that God is the source of every blessing.  James (1:16-17) warns us about this: Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 

In “The Song of Moses” (Deut. 32), where God predicts Israel’s future, this comes up twice.  In the case of Israel, after entering the land and experiencing all the goodness of God, the day would come when Israel would “grow fat” and forsake the God who made him (32:15).  Instead, Israel would give thanks to false gods (32:16-17).  The result would be that God would raise up enemies who would devour Israel with the sword (32:25).  These enemies would actually be doing God’s work, except that the time would come when the enemies would also become proud and take the credit for what God had enabled them to do (32:26-27).  As the prophet Habakkuk put it, in talking about the Babylonians, one of those enemies that God used, “Then his mind changes and he transgresses; he commits offense, ascribing this power to his god” (Hab. 1:11).

This “unthankfulness” is a problem for God’s people as well as the enemies of His people.  It fulfills Rom. 1:18, that man’s tendency is to suppress the truth about God in unrighteousness.  It is a national problem.  But of course, it is a personal issue.  The Psalmist was right: Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give glory (Ps. 115:1).  Meditate on these New Testament passages that tell us that God is at work in our lives in such a way that we will be thankful to Him.

i)      1 Cor. 1:27-29: Time and again we see God chose to use people who are “weak” in the eyes of the world to “confound the mighty.”  He does this because the “weak” are more inclined to give Him thanks.  The “mighty” are more inclined to take the credit themselves.

ii)   2 Cor. 4:7: Believers in Christ are extremely blessed.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (i.e. our weak bodies while we live on this earth) that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

iii)            2 Cor. 4:15: Again, this blessedness we have in Christ, the blessing of our resurrection life in Christ and of God’s grace to more and more believers, is intended to cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

iv) 2 Cor. 12:7-10: God brought weakness into the life of the Apostle Paul, and yet God used Paul in great ways.  The “weaknesses” were appreciated by Paul because it made him an object of thanksgiving to Christ.

Thanksgiving is contrary to pride.  Pride exalts man and reduces God.  But God will not share His glory with another. And should not share His glory with another.  He is worthy of all glory!